CH716615B1 - Method for conveying bulk material parts and device for carrying out the method. - Google Patents

Abstract

In a method, bulk material parts (17, 18, 19) are conveyed in a metered amount onto at least one plate element (20) and are lifted off the plate element (20) for ordering by a movement directed approximately perpendicular to it. The plate element (20) is moved up and down at least transversely to its support surface by at least one, preferably two, successive pulses, so that the bulk material parts (17, 18, 19) located on the plate element (20) move away from the plate element (20) at the respective pulse be withdrawn for a short time. This enables efficient and very productive conveying of the bulk material parts.

Description

The invention relates to a method for conveying bulk material parts, in which the bulk material parts are conveyed in a metered amount onto at least one plate element and are lifted off from it for ordering by a movement directed approximately perpendicular to this plate element, as well as a device to carry out the procedure.

[0002] In a method according to document EP-A-1 513 749 for feeding bulk material parts, these are transported from a bulk material part arranged several times one above the other in a storage unit into an individually distributed and untangled position within reach of a robot. In one device, a horizontally arranged oscillating conveyor surface is provided with means for advancing or retracting the bulk material parts in the x or y direction and also with means for stimulating oscillation of the oscillating conveyor surface in the z direction. A camera and a sensor are available for individually recording the number, position and orientation of the individual bulk material parts. A processor is used to process the sensor signals and to generate control commands, sometimes involving an oscillating movement in the z direction with continuously increasing, programmable amplitudes in the x direction. The oscillating movement in the z direction occurs alternately or at least partially simultaneously and is coordinated with a feed or retraction of the bulk material parts in the x or in the x and y directions. At least for a snapshot taken by the camera until the robot removes bulk material parts, all movements of the vibrating conveyor surface are stopped in order to record the positions of the parts.

With this method, bulk material parts can be moved in different directions and unraveled on the vibrating conveyor surface and distributed individually so that they can be picked up individually by a robot and placed in a separate location. However, this method and the device used for it are relatively complex to handle and, moreover, they are not particularly efficient in terms of the delivery rate.

In contrast, the invention is based on the object of further developing a method and a device according to the type mentioned at the beginning in such a way that it enables more efficient and productive conveying of the bulk material parts with a relatively simple and compact construction.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method according to the features of claim 1 or by a device according to the features of claim 8.

With this method according to the invention, the plate element is moved up and down at least transversely to its support surface for the bulk material parts by at least one, preferably two, successive pulses, so that the bulk material parts located on the plate element are moved by the latter at the respective pulse are lifted off for a short time, a quick and effective individual placement of the parts on the plate element can be brought about, so that they can be easily located and their position on the plate element can be recorded easily and safely. The manipulator can then be controlled accordingly and its gripper can grasp the parts and place them in a specific position next to the device.

[0007] It has surprisingly been found that the bulk material parts can be distributed extremely quickly and reliably on the plate element for their location if, in particular, two consecutive pulses are initiated and the time interval between the two pulses is chosen so that the bulk material parts are lifted off again by the second pulse immediately after the first pulse when they hit the plate element.

[0008] Very advantageously, the plate element is made to be at least transparent, so that the outer contours of the bulk material parts lying above the plate element can be photographically recorded on the underside after the pulses have occurred, from which the x and y coordinates of the respective positions as well as the orientation of the same can be recorded determined and serve as position values for a gripper of the manipulator. In this way, a camera, a line scanner or the like can be integrated into the device according to the invention in a very space-saving manner and the respective positions of the parts can be easily recorded.

The pulse movements on the plate element are expediently generated by at least one electromagnetically acting adjustment mechanism, in which the adjustment stroke is approximately 0.1 to a few millimeters and this occurs with a respective pulse duration of fractions of a second.

The invention and further advantages thereof are explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. It shows: Fig. 1 a device according to the invention in a perspective view with a longitudinal section of its housing; 2 to 6 each show a schematic diagram of the device according to the invention with the individual steps of the process for conveying the bulk material parts.

The device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a laterally accessible filling container 11 for receiving bulk material. The bulk material can be various types of parts, such as supplier parts for the automated assembly of machines, devices, machine components or the like, or parts that are used in processing machines, such as punching, milling, drilling or similar machines - or be led away. In a rotary transfer machine, nests that are continually emptied can be fed with such parts again. In principle, they can also be parts for packaging machines, for example in the food, medical, pharmaceutical sectors or the like. Applications for feeding processing machines, such as injection molding machines, are also possible.

This device 10 comprises a multi-part housing 25, this filling container 11, a conveyor device 12 that interacts with it, a plate element 20, at least one manipulator 30 with a gripper 35 adjustable above the plate element 20, and an electronic control (not shown in detail) for an automated Conveying the bulk material in the device.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, this conveyor device 12 is realized by a plate conveyor, to which several plates 13, 14, 15, 13', 14' running obliquely upward are assigned, which are arranged parallel to one another in a stepped manner with their side surfaces. These plates 13, 14, 15 can be moved up and down in an oscillating manner independently of one another in their longitudinal extent and they enable a gradually metered conveying of bulk material parts on their upper sides from the filling container 11 to the overflow and a ramp 16 that leads obliquely downwards extends to the top of the plate element 20.

Such a plate conveyor is known per se and will therefore not be discussed in more detail. This offers the advantage that its arrangement with this step conveying saves space and the device 10 can be made correspondingly more compact and in addition the bulk material parts 21 can be fed from the filling container 11 quickly and individually or in small numbers in cycles. The inclination of the plates 13, 14, 15, 13 ', 14' can also be optimally adjusted depending on the shape and size of the parts.

2 and 3, these bulk material parts 17, 18, 19 are fed one after the other via this ramp 16 and they usually lie next to and on top of each other on the plate element 20 without any specific alignment.

4 is moved up and down at least transversely to its support surface 20' by at least one, preferably two, successive pulses, so that the bulk material parts 17, 18 located on the plate element 20 , 19 are briefly lifted from the respective pulse, as can be seen schematically.

[0017] Very advantageously, for at least two consecutive pulses, a time interval between the two pulses is selected such that the bulk material parts 17, 18, 19 are lifted off again by the second pulse immediately after the first pulse when they hit the plate element 20 .

By controlling the pulse-like up and down movements of the plate element 20 in this way, a reliable alignment of the parts 17, 18, 19, as shown in FIG. 5, can be achieved within a very short time of less than one second.

The stroke and the pulse duration of the movements of the plate element 20 for a respective pulse are determined depending on at least the weight and preferably the external shape of the bulk material parts 17, 18, 19.

The setting and execution of the pulse movements of the plate element 20 is carried out by an electronic control, which is preferably carried out as a processor in a computer integrated in the device 10 with a display and keyboard with a suitable software program. With this control, the necessary parameters can be entered and the bulk material parts can be guided fully automatically to the correct storage position outside the device, as is illustrated in FIG. 6 with the part 19 deposited by the gripper 35.

The one or preferably two pulse movements are generated by an electromagnetically acting adjustment mechanism 22, in which the adjustment stroke is approximately 0.1 to a few millimeters and this is clocked at a respective pulse duration of fractions of a second.

The plate element 20 is supported at each of its four corners on an adjusting mechanism 22, which consists of a lifting bolt 23 guided on the outside of the plate element 20 and a magnetic coil 24 surrounding it, which is acted upon by an electrical current, to pulse the plate element 20 with a Stroke to move up transversely to its support surface 20 ', which then lowers back down into the starting position due to its own weight when the power supply is switched off. The respective adjustment mechanism 22 is connected to the electronic control for setting and executing the pulse movements. After accelerating upwards, the lifting pin 23 advantageously hits an upper stop, so that it and thus the plate element 20 stop abruptly and thus additionally promote the lifting of the parts.

The purpose of this is for the bulk material parts 17, 18, 19 to lie next to each other and not on top of each other on the plate element 20 after the brief lifting caused by the pulses. There is also a frame 29 arranged above the plate element 20, which prevents the parts from falling down to the side.

In these positions, the directed bulk material parts 17, 18, 19 are then located photographically and their x and y coordinates are determined in relation to their center of gravity or a reference point and their orientation formed by the support surface 20 'of the plate element 20 Level recorded and evaluated and saved by the control.

According to the invention, the plate element 20 is at least transparent or completely transparent, so that the bulk material parts 17, 18, 19 located thereon can be located by a camera 26 via a reflector 27 that interacts with it below the plate element 20. Due to this transparent or transparent design of the plate element 20, the camera 26 can record at least the undersides of the parts 17, 18, 19 with an image, through which their position in relation to the x, y and, if necessary, the z coordinate as well the orientation of the plane formed by the plate element can be determined.

This reflector 27, which is provided as a mirror, is fastened in the housing 25 below the plate element 20 at an angle to the latter and is arranged in relation to the camera 26 placed laterally on the plate element 26 in such a way that one or more digital images appear approximately vertically below the plate element 26 are recorded so that the x and y coordinates and the orientation of the parts can be precisely determined.

The manipulator 30, as can be seen in FIG is. The guide head 33 is displaceably mounted laterally above the plate element 20 within the housing 25 by a guide rod 34, which is preferably designed as a threaded spindle.

[0028] The pivotable gripper 35 of the manipulator 30 can therefore be moved on the one hand by the guide head 33 along the plate element 20 and, due to its pivotability, can be brought into any position above the plate element 20 and on the other hand to a specific location next to the plate element 20 for positioning the bulk material parts 17, 18, 19 can be moved for further processing or storage in a box or the like, as indicated in Fig. 6.

With the arrangement of the manipulator 30 and its gripper 35 laterally above the plate element, an optimal spatial allocation has been achieved together with the camera 26 and the reflector 27 below and the conveyor 12 to the side of the plate element 20.

The manipulator 30 and thus the gripper 35 are controlled accordingly by the electronic control and guided into the photographically recorded position of the bulk material parts 17, 18, 19, so that the gripper 35 holds a respective part using gripping fingers or a suction cup or the like and then conveys it to the storage position. The determination of the x, y and, if necessary, the z coordinate as well as the alignment of the parts is carried out in such a way that the gripper 35 is correctly positioned and its gripping fingers grip the outside of the respective part and are not at the top of the part.

A measuring element, not shown, is advantageously arranged in the manipulator 30 or in the housing 25, by means of which it is checked whether the gripper 35 has effectively grasped and deposited a part of bulk material.

Advantageously, only a limited number of bulk material parts 17, 18, 19, preferably between 3 and 10 parts, are fed discontinuously from the conveyor device 12 onto the plate element 20. Depending on the application, the parts could in principle also be fed virtually continuously onto the plate element 20. The distribution of the impulses and the detection of the parts would then have to be coordinated accordingly. As soon as these parts 17, 18, 19 are aligned on the plate element 20 by the at least one pulse, they are then grasped and removed by the manipulator 30, and this is then repeated until a certain number of parts are deposited next to the plate element or it becomes continuous Parts deposited.

For safety reasons, the device 10 is enclosed in the housing 25 and is not accessible from the outside during operation.

The invention is sufficiently demonstrated with the exemplary embodiment explained above. It could of course be explained by further variants. For example, more than one manipulator could be provided on both sides above the plate element in order to virtually double the conveying capacity.

Of course, instead of a plate conveyor, a conveyor belt that runs flat or obliquely upwards, a vibrating conveyor or the like could also be used in the conveyor device. The plate element could also be supported by only one or two adjustment mechanisms.

[0036] Instead of a camera, a line scanner, a scanner or the like could also be integrated into the device according to the invention and detect and localize the respective positions of the parts. Such a scanner could be implemented below the plate element as a reciprocating carriage with corresponding measuring sensors.

Claims (13)

1. Method for conveying bulk material parts, in which the bulk material parts (17, 18, 19) are conveyed in a metered amount onto at least one plate element (20) and are lifted off from it for ordering by a movement directed approximately perpendicular to this , characterized in that the plate element (20) is moved up and down at least transversely to its support surface (20 ') by at least one, preferably two, successive pulses, so that the bulk material parts (17, 18, 19) located on the plate element (20) respective pulse of this in particular of less than a second can be lifted. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that for at least two consecutive pulses, a time interval between the two pulses is selected such that the bulk material parts (17, 18, 19) are lifted off again by the second pulse immediately after the first pulse when they hit the plate element (20). 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stroke and the pulse duration of the movements of the plate element (20) are determined for a respective pulse depending on at least the weight and preferably the external shape of the bulk material parts (17, 18, 19), the settings and the execution of the pulse movements of the plate element ( 20) done by an electronic control. 4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that one and preferably the two pulse movements are generated by at least one electromagnetically acting adjustment mechanism (22), in which the adjustment stroke is greater than 0.1 millimeter and this occurs with a respective pulse duration of fractions of a second. 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the bulk material parts (3) lie next to each other on the plate element (20) after the brief lifting caused by the pulses and are then located photographically and their positions at least with respect to the x and y coordinates and their orientation of the plate element ( 20) formed level are detected and evaluated by an electronic control, and these serve as position values for a gripper (35) of a manipulator (30). 6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the plate element (20) is at least transparently transparent and the outer contours of the bulk material parts (17, 18, 19) lying above the plate element (20) are photographically recorded on the underside after the pulses have occurred and from this the x and y coordinates of the respective positions and the orientation of the same can be determined. 7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a limited number of bulk material parts (3), for example between 3 and 10 parts, are fed discontinuously onto the plate element (20), which are then aligned by the at least one pulse and then removed from the plate element, and this is then repeated until a certain number of parts are placed next to the plate element (20) or there is continuous storage. 8. Device for carrying out the method according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the device (10) has a conveyor device (12) for conveying a metered amount of bulk material onto at least one plate element (20) and this plate element (20) with an adjusting mechanism (22), comprising, characterized in that the plate element (20) can be moved up and down transversely to its support surface and is supported on at least one electromagnetically acting adjustment mechanism (22), which is designed in such a way that two pulses can preferably be generated with it, this adjustment mechanism (22) having an electronic Control for setting and executing the impulse movements is connected. 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the adjustment mechanism (22), preferably has four lifting bolts (23) supporting the plate element (20) on the outside and magnetic coils (24) surrounding them, which are acted upon by electrical current in order to pulse the lifting bolts (23) and thus the plate element (20). to move up in one stroke. 10. Device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the device (10) has a filling container (11) for receiving the bulk material, the conveying device (12) interacting with it, at least one manipulator (30) with a gripper (35) adjustable above the plate element (20) and an electronic control for which includes controlling the conveying of the bulk material. 11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the manipulator (30) is arranged above the plate element (20), having a guide head (33) mounted laterally above the plate element in the longitudinal and vertical directions with a gripper (35), which is in the x and y directions by a Rotary motor can be pivoted parallel to the plate element. 12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the pivotable gripper (35) of the manipulator (30) can be moved along the plate element (20) by the guide head (33) and can be moved to any position above the plate element due to its pivotability and, on the other hand, to a specific location next to the plate element (20) for storage the bulk material parts (17, 18, 19) can be pivoted for further processing. 13. Plate element for a device according to one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the plate element (20) is at least transparent, so that the bulk material parts located thereon can be located below the plate element (20) directly or via at least one reflector (27) cooperating with it by at least one camera (26) and their positions are at least in Reference to the x and y coordinates and the orientation of the plane formed by the plate element can be detected.